This application claims the priority of Application No. 101 39 709.7, filed Aug. 11, 2001 in Germany, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to an oil collecting arrangement for an internal-combustion engine, particularly for an opposed cylinder engine.
In today""s water-cooled 6-cylinder opposed-cylinder engines of the 911 Carrera model series of Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Company, an oil shut-off (separating) box is provided in the oil guiding housing or in the oil pan, which oil separating box is fastened to the oil pan cover, the oil sump for the lubricating oil supply to the engine being constructed in the oil separating box. The lubricating oil returned from the consuming devices into the oil pan is first guided back outside the oil shut-off (separating) box forming the oil suction space before it flows by way of openings monitored by flaps in the oil shut-off (separating) box into the actual oil suction space. The construction of the oil shut-off (separating) box requires relatively high expenditures. In addition, mainly in the event of lateral accelerations of the vehicle, oil movements within the oil pan are possible which carry the risk that insufficient oil may be present in the oil suction space.
The present invention is therefore based on the object of reducing oil movements within an oil guiding housing or an oil pan. In this case, it should be possible to integrate the constructive implementation in a simple manner into the oil guiding housing.
By means of oil separating walls separating the oil suction space, the oil movements within the oil guiding housing are effectively reduced. The oil transfer from the edge areas surrounding the oil suction space is possible only in a defined manner by way of the openings provided in the oil separating walls.
Additional advantages and advantageous embodiments of the invention are contained in the claims and in the description.
Advantageously, the oil/air separators provided in the oil collecting spaces for defoaming the oil are inserted together with the oil separating walls as a preassembled unit in the oil guiding housing or in the oil pan.
The oil separating walls separating the oil suction space from the oil collecting space are supported in the downward direction by a cover which simultaneously seals off the oil pan or the oil guiding housing in the downward direction.
The invention is suitable particularly for an opposed-cylinder engine with horizontally disposed cylinders, in the case of which the lubricating oil taken in from the cylinder heads is introduced into one oil collecting space respectively adjoining the oil suction space before it flows by way of the openings monitored by flaps, which openings are provided in two oil separating walls fitted into the oil pan, into the actual oil suction space.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.